


Ghosts of Arkfall

by okomirose



Category: Defiance (TV)
Genre: Alien Culture, Alien Language, Alien Sex, Alien Technology, F/F, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-07
Updated: 2013-10-06
Packaged: 2017-12-28 16:15:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/993963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/okomirose/pseuds/okomirose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Doc Yewll saves a Gulanee from a mob of angry miners and finds herself drawn to the strange, telepathic, and troubled being. </p><p>(reposted)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ghosts of Arkfall

I do not own the Defiance show or game and am not making money off this story.

I will also state that this is all very speculative as it’s only 7 episodes this story takes place between episode 5 and 6 more will follow in between the next episodes.

The residents of Defiance face many shadows in their past, but none so difficult as those dredged up around Doc Yewll and her bewildering new companion.

Doc Yewll was on the edge of town gathering venom to replace her depleted anti-venom stock that some Castithan man had very nearly used the last of. Tom and that hotheaded Irathien had brought him in insisting they found him lying in an alley in the hollows. Yewll found their story all very suspect and their behavior did nothing to alleviate her suspicions; especially their sideways glances and the way they refused to meet her eyes, but looked down as if embarrassed or guilty. Also it seemed as if they had both carefully rehearsed it. He had been in bad shape though, so she didn't have time for questions. Her thoughts were interrupted by a series of angry shouts coming from the direction of the McCawley mines. She cautiously set the snake she was milking on the ground, backed up quickly while not taking her eyes off it, and slipped the vial into the bag.

 _This was NOT in the job description_ , she thought sourly.

She headed in the direction of the racket while darting behind rocks, trees, and debris: trying to keep from being seen in case the Volge had returned or some raiders were in the area. When she got to the entrance to the mine a large group of miners were all converging on what appeared to be a mechanical suit; it was a Volge.

Yewll got a little closer when she realized something wasn't right; the size was all wrong. It was too small- about human size- and the color was wrong. The suit was bronze instead of steel and had flashes of opalescent-blue. This was no Volge; it was like seeing a ghost from the distant past. This was a Gulanee: the energy beings that had given the Votans the rights to mine their ore in exchange for a few of the Gulanee being allowed into the evacuation fleet.

Some humans approached the Gulanee holding shovels and started to beat on the poor thing mercilessly. Yewll got on her communicator to call Tom and Irisa.

“Get your **ganches** down to McCawley Mine!” Yewll shouted, “We have trouble.”

“Could you be more specific as to what kind of trouble?” Tom snapped.

“The bad kind,” Yewll snapped back, "Sorry don't have time to explain."

With that she hung up.

This time she made her approach as conspicuous as possible, loudly kicking up rocks and dirt, hoping to startle them into stopping their senseless violence, but they were like a hell-bug after its prey: so intent they didn't notice her.

“Stop! This is not a Volge!” She shouted with as much force as capable (quite a bit) once she was in earshot, “Are you thick? Does this even resemble the behemoths you fought before? Use your heads! The poor thing is not even putting up a fight! A Volge would not act like this. This is a Gulanee!”

/ \   / \    / \

\ /   \ /    \ /

“ **Shtako** , that was doc Yewll. We need to get dressed,” Tom hissed.

“Is it about what happened with Daigo?” Irisa asked nervously as she gathered up her scattered clothing.

“Not unless she wants to confront us at the McCawley Mines. She says there's trouble there,” Tom answered.

“What could she possibly be doing there?” Irisa asked as she struggled to lace her knife-laden corset.

“No clue. She seemed emotional which is unusual for her- other than being pissed, of course. She almost seemed upset. I've seen her go through some messed up **shtako** , but I've never see her upset. We should hurry,” he said throwing on the last of his clothing, “I can help you with that, you know.”

“No, and don't you know by now not that kind of girl?”

When they got up close to the mine a large group of miners were standing around what appeared to be a lump of metal. Doc Yewll was shouting in a rather pissed off tone at them. The miners all looked as pissed off as she sounded. As Tom and Irisa got out of the vehicle they could hear bits and pieces of what was being said.

“I don' rightly care what it is; it was in the mines stealing our ore!” A miner yelled, waving his arms in the air.

“That's no reason to beat it to death!” Doc Yewll countered.

“Can you even kill a Gulanee? I thought they were a ball of energy, not some kind of machine," One of the miners asked.

“Who told you that lode of **shtako**? They are energy but they live in their suits and will die without them! I dearly hope you have not done irreparable damage.”

“HEY! What's going on?” Tom shouted as Irisa ran up behind Yewll to get a better look.

“Is that really a Gulanee?” She asked in a skeptical tone.

“Yes. As I told these **banggos,** they are not just floating balls of light they live in a suit!” Yewll said in aggravation.

Tom came up behind her: “Can you please break up the lynch mob and let Doc Yewll examine this… um… Gulanee was it?”

The leader of the mob spoke up: “I demand you arrest this whatever-it-is. It was stealing from our mine.”

“I promise I will take the Gulanee in for questioning, but if you all want to avoid assault and possible murder charges I suggest you step aside.”

There was quite a bit I grumbling and muffled complaints but finally they let the three of them through. Yewll cautiously approached the Gulanee; it was curled up in a defensive position, shielding its head region with its arms.

“I'm Doctor Yewll I’m here to help,” Yewll said, trying to sound reassuring. She repeated it in Indogene and Castithan not knowing if it knew English, but got no response, “I'm going to examine you to see the extent of the damage. Is that ok?”

No response, but it did raise its head. The light that emanated from the face piece was an eerily opalescent blue intricate Indogene text glowed faintly on the transparent face piece. It reached out its hand, the fingertips the same blue as its face. Yewll extended her hand but the Gulanee reached for her face instead, brushing her temples lightly. Yewll gasped as energy poured from the tips of its finger traveling briefly through the pleasure center of her brain and into the language center making every nerve in her body tingle as it did so. Yewll cried out in shock, and as she did so both Irisa and Tom pulled out their weapons.

“No! It’s ok!" Yewll held up a hand, "I think she's trying to communicate with me.”

Words and phrases in Yewll's memory condensed themselves into cohesive sentences. Some of it was English; some Indo, Irathi, Casti and just about every other Votan language; even some obscure human dialects she’d picked up. It was more than a bit overwhelming and took a bit of concentration to follow.

 _< How do I know I can trust you?> _The Gulanee asked, her borrowed voice echoing in Yewll’s mind, < _An Indogene scientist offered me fuel and shelter in exchange for help with research; little did I know that I would be the one they would be experimenting on_. >

< _I am first, and foremost, a doctor; although I can't deny having a certain amount of scientific curiosity about your species I would never hurt a patient in the interest of satisfying that curiosity. I swore an oath and there is no way I would break it, and I am beyond disgusted that a member of the scientific community and of my own race would do such a thing to a fellow Votan._ >

As they were talking images of what had been done to the Gulanee passed through Yewll mind. She saw the communication device built into the suit being disabled; she assumed so that that they didn't have to hear her scream at being forced to leave her suit for hours at a time. It was a torture that was beyond reprehensible, as so much time outside of the suit could kill her. Even stronger then the images, was the outright terror she felt coming off of the Gulanee in waves: Yewll felt nauseated.

< _You honestly feel that way about what they did to me,_ > the Gulanee stated in shock.

< _How could I not? No Votan deserves to be exploited in that way._ >

< _I guess I can trust you. I give you permission to look me over, and I thank you for being patient with me. I don't mean any offense against your race, but I_ _am still trying to get over what happened. >_

< _That's ok. You have every right to be scared and I'm sure what happened today didn't help. >_

Yewll pulled away from her touch and began to look her over. ‘Her’, ‘she’: there were those words again. They kept popping into her head. It wasn't as though Gulanees had male or female body parts- or any body parts in the conventional sense. Maybe it was because the voices the Gulanee chose from her memory were predominantly female. Maybe it was simply better than calling her ‘it’. The Indogene language had a gender-neutral word for a sanctioned being, but English and the other four Votan languages did not, so perhaps it had just been easier to pick the first gender that came to mind.

< _I don't mind if you think of me as female_ ,> The Gulanee thought.

Yewll was shocked to find that even though they were no longer touching, the Gulanee was still able to read her thoughts and transmit her own to her, but then the ability itself honestly shocked her. She had never heard of any Gulanees with telepathic abilities, but then so little was known about them.

“Will you let me see the power read out there on your arm? Oh, not good. That's the most pressing matter. Tom will you get me some petrohol if you have any extra left over?”

“Think there's some in the trunk,” he said, happy to move away from the restless mob.

Irisa stood in a defensive position beside Yewll. She was baffled and still a bit concerned about what just transpired between the Gulanee and Yewll.

Doc Yewll carefully ran her fingers along the transparent crystalline parts of the suit, looking for even the tiniest fracture that might cause cracks. Luckily there were only a few minor ones that could be repaired with filler material. Only about half of the suit was made of the high quality Indogen-made material, the rest was patched with metal steel coated in bronze to prevent rusting. Most of that had taken the brunt of the attack as she covered much of her backside. Most of the damage was superficial except for the bent left leg that would perhaps make it difficult to walk.

“Who patched you anyway?” Yewll asked, “I mean this will hold up for a good amount of time, but this is not going to hold together forever. A proper Indogene made suit would last perhaps hundred years you will be lucky to get fifty out of this.”

< _A human named Lian; he was kind. He didn't ask for anything, just said it was a challenge. There were Indogenes in the town, but I couldn't bring myself to trust them. You are the first Indogene I have even spoken to since then. >_

“Will you come back with me? You need more tending to; if it makes you more comfortable you can have Tom or Irisa with you when I treat you. They are law-keeps and they will not let anyone hurt you.”

< _I think I trust you. You shared your true emotions with me. My pain caused you pain. I'm sorry to have done that to you. Communicating in this way is not something I do lightly, but I didn't know any other way to know if I could trust you_. >

“Don't worry, I'm fine. We will fix your communicator; so then I can hear that pretty voice I'm sure you have. Do you have a name?" Yewll asked.

< _Yes, but you would not understand it in our language. Lian called me ‘sweetie’ but I don't think that counts as a name. He also called me ‘her’ but then he called his roller her_. >

“Yes, human men do that. Why I have yet to understand," Yewll said sportingly.

< _I had an Indigo name, but I would rather not be known by it in case I'm still being followed. That scientist is still looking for me. Why don't you pick a name for me?_ >

Yewll thought for a moment. Indo and Gulanee names apparently were out of the question, human names were rather bland, Castithans would probably take offence if she gave her a Casti name, so she thought of an Irathi name she heard once that had a fitting meaning. Olioran meaning ‘rising star.’

Tom pulled the roller around figuring the crowd had probably dispersed enough to get through, which luckily it had. He brought the spare can of petrohol to Yewll.

“Ok, how do we fill her up?” Tom asked.

“She’s not roller, Tom, it doesn't quite work that way. Spill it on the ground.”

“Wait, what?” Tom asked in confusion.

“Just do it.”

So Tom complied, a slightly horrified look on his face at the perceived waste of scrip.

Olioran reached out her fingertips and touched the substance, a faint glow enveloping her hand. The process seeming to be the opposite that was done to Yewll as the energy entered her hand rather than leave it.

“Gulanee feed on the energy from gulanite, which is contained within petrohol,” Yewll said in answer to the questioning looks from Tom and Irisa.

“That’s not what she did to you when you um.. communicated with her?” Irisa asked, sounding concerned.

“No, more likely she emitted energy rather than absorbed it,” Yewll said sounding a bit tired.

“But did it harm you in any way?” Irisa asked.

“You do seen worn out,” Tom added.

“You two suddenly my doctor? I’m fine,” she said, getting to her feet only to stumble as a wave of vertigo came over her. Tom moved to her side to support her, letting her lean on his shoulder.

 _< I’m sorry, I should have warned you. Dizziness is sometime a side effect of establishing the initial connection,> _Olioran said, feelings of guilt projected with the words. _ <I don’t like talking to people in this way as most people find it frightening, but it’s generally harmless. The dizziness and fatigue should go away in a few hours.>_

“Now you tell me Olioran.”

_< Are you angry?>_

“Slightly irritated, but you have been through more than me today so I can’t really be too angry.”

“What is she saying?” Tom asked.

“She says I will feel better in a few hours, which is more than I can say for her if we don’t get her suit repaired. We need to get her into the roller.”

“Correction: Irisa and I need to get her to the roller. You sit in it and wait,” Tom ordered, sounding a bit irritated himself. Yewll could not tell if it his irritation was directed at her or the Gulanee.

Tom let Doc Yewll lean on him as he led her to the roller. Then turned to the harder task of loading the Gulanee. Luckily she could still partially walk but needed Tom and Irisa to balance and slightly support her on each side. All four of them were exhausted by the time they were on the road back to town.

Once they were done loading Olioran, Irisa noticed a paper tablet on the ground beneath where the Gulanee had been. She stooped down and stuffed it into her corset.

“That was a messed up load of **shtako** ,” Irisa angrily stated, “Does everyone in this town want to beat up helpless Votans? Read this.” She said passing the tablet around. The page had writing in English and several Votan languages, a clear attempt for Olioran to communicate with the miners.

“'Will work for ore’. You mean she was never trying to steal the ore,” Yewll said sounding utterly livid, “Humans.”

“Hey, human present and just as pissed as the rest of you,” Tom said from the drivers seat.

“Why didn’t you talk to them the way you did me?” Yewll asked Olioran.

_< I didn’t want to hurt them. Human are minds are more vulnerable than Indogenes.>_

“That’s ridiculous! They could have killed you if I hadn't shown up.”

“What does she say?” Irisa asked.

“She says she was concerned her abilities would hurt humans,” Yewll replied in disgust.

“Would have served them right. If it were me I would have beat the **shtako** out of them,” Irisa promised, “Besides, why wasn't she concerned about her abilities hurting you?”

The Gulanee turned to face Irisa, the see-through face-shaped plate with the billowy glow beneath it seeming utterly alien; even to someone who was an alien. Olioran placed her face in her hands in a show of remorse.

_< I’m sorry I did not mean to risk hurting your friend. I was scared, I didn't know what to do. I was hurt by one of her kind before and I didn’t know if I could trust her.>_

This time doc Yewll repeated the entire message word for word.

“As long as she’s okay. She’s my responsibility, that’s all. It won’t do to have a town doctor with a fried brain,” Irisa said, trying to sound indifferent, Olioran’s statement about Irisa being friends with Yewll clearly getting under her skin. She didn’t dislike Yewll but she couldn't say she liked her either, but then she didn’t form attachments easily.

“Wait, you said another Indogene hurt her? That wasn't Ben, was it?” Tom asked.

“No, it was definitely a female,” Yewll said.

“She made you see things?” Irisa asked, this time sounding a bit taken aback.

Tom reached his hand to touch her shoulder but she pushed his hand away: “Hey, just trying to comfort you!”

“I don’t need any more pity! I’m not a weak little human girl that needs to be coddled,” She hissed to him lowly.

“I’m sorry. I... I don’t know how I’m supposed to act when you’re upset,” Tom stammered.

“Leave me alone: that’s how you’re supposed to handle it! Especially in front of people!”

The rest of ride back was spent in uncomfortable silence and Doc Yewll fell fast asleep. When they got back to town Irisa shook Yewll awake.

“You didn’t mean what you said when you told them you would take Olioran in for questioning, did you? She needs more tending then I can give her in a cell,” Doc Yewll insisted, her weariness plain in her voice.

“No, I will be by to take a statement once the two of you are up to giving one, but from what I can see if anyone belongs in a cell its those mine workers. I wouldn't recommend pressing charges against them, though, unless you want a riot... um, Olioran was it?” Tom makes an effort to meet her gaze despite the lack of eyes behind the eye-shaped parts of her face piece; she nods her head and shrugs her shoulders.

 _< Thank you for your help and thank you for not treating me like an inanimate object,>_ she said, her voice sounding sad in Yewll’s mind.

Yewll repeated this, saying it much in the same tone as Olioran’s voice was in her head.

“Every one deserves to be treated with respect; I just wish you didn’t feel the need to thank me for what should be common decency. If anyone ever hassles you again don’t hesitate to call me. I’m Tom LaSalle and this Irisa Nyira; we are both deputes here.”

Tom extended his hand and Olioran took it, shaking it gently. Her hand did not feel as cold as Tom suspected it might be but warm to the touch, almost the same temperature of skin. They dropped Yewll and Olioran off at the medical center, helping Olioran inside. Doc Yewll had regained equilibrium by this point and made it in the building on her own. Once Irisa and Tom were gone Doc Yewll lit the cold-fire torch and began melting the filler material to fix the minor cracks in Olioran’s suit.

Yewll could sense Olioran’s fear; Yewll could tell if her leg were not damaged she would have bolted.

“What's wrong? I don't know much about your species. Does heat harm you?”

< _No, but cold-fire does._ >

“It's ok I won't hurt you I will use an ordinary torch. It’s slower but still works as well. Unfortunately, I fear I lack the energy to fix your leg today. It will require a considerable amount of banging back into place, and the voice box will take awhile to find the right parts to fix.”

_< No rush. You should rest yourself. You can’t do everything in a day. Lian certainly didn’t.>_

“Been meaning to ask you about him. Why did he not fix your voice?”

< _You need to understand when I got away from that scientist my suit was nearly in pieces. Lian had to close me off into an undamaged part of the suit so I could even survive. It took months to rebuild me enough that I could even move again. I’m very lucky he was even up to fixing me; he was very ill when I met him. Something he got during the Pale Wars. He didn‘t like to talk about it, so I can’t tell you much except that it left him permanently deaf and he had trouble walking. He died before he could fix the voice box. It was never much of a priority because we didn’t need it to communicate. The first few months when I couldn’t move he taught me sign language. My hands and arms were about the only thing I could move. Not long after he made the last necessary repairs he took a turn for the worse. I stayed with him and cared for him until he died a year later. I miss him. He was a good man, > _The words were thick with sorrow.

“I’m sorry to hear he passed on. Considering the lack of resources he must have had, and the short time span he had to do it in, he did an amazing job. I don’t know many people who could have done the same thing, and none of the ones I do are human. He must have been some kind of genius. A pity I never got to meet him."

< _I wish you could have met him too, maybe you could have helped him._ >

“Perhaps, but there were some pretty nasty bio-weapons during that war; the most I probably could have done was slow the progression of his condition,” She said.

Doc Yewll hoped that the Gulanee did not pick up on the twinge of guilt she felt; or simply would interpret it as guilt for not being able to help someone. Olioran made no comment on it as she finished filling the cracks in the suit. Somehow, no matter where she went the ghosts of her past followed Yewll. She lay down to rest after she was done with the repairs, but found she was too restless.

< _You feeling ok? You might want to do a scan on yourself. I haven’t set up a link with someone in a long time, I kind of had a hard time finding the Language center at first._ >

 

“So what happened before that was not a part of the process? Was Irisa right to be concerned?” Yewll asked, a bit concerned.

< _It’s unlikely that there was any damage done. I have done this to your kind before with no ill effects, but I think you should check just in case_. >

“Alright this is a little awkward to do on my own. Bill would help from time to time- no one in this town has any experience in dealing will Indogene tech- but you must have some being encased inside an Indogene made suit.”

It took about a half hour to run the Indogene version of an EEG, which in their case also involved scanning their implants for any malfunctions.

“Well most of this seems normal; the activity in the pleasure center and language center are understandably high, but nothing significantly harmful. As for the implants there isn't any damage, in fact they seem to be operating more efficiently than they were before.”

< _Well I thought that might be the case, but I wanted to be sure. You see when I make a link I deposit a small amount of Gulanee energy into your brain; not much and most species aren't harmed by it. I only feared with you because I was overly emotional and a bit out of sorts, so I poured a little more in than usual. Because your implants can absorb gulanite energy it must have recharged their power cells. I thought when you seemed no more than a little worn out and dizzy that this must have been what occurred,_ > Olioran said, sounding still a little regretful for her actions.

“That’s incredible. I have been running my implants on half power for the last two weeks waiting to get a new device to recharge them. The last one has been steadily breaking down... Look at me: enough with the guilt. It’s over with. There's no harm done- in fact quite the opposite- so stop beating yourself up. There are plenty of people I would love to beat up for what happened today, but you're not one of them,” Yewll scolded protectively, then turned contemplative, “Hey, you were a scientist too at one point; weren’t you? You know too much not to be.”

< _Yes, a space-biologist. I was to be a part of the terraforming project once we got here, but once it was obvious they didn't have any need to terraform they sent me with some of the first settlers to study the existing environment. We were to identify anything that would be threatening to Votan settlers, >_ Olioran said, the voices she used sounding far off as if lost in remembrance.

“Wow, you were here at the very beginning! I wasn’t allowed to settle till right before the first Arkfall; they needed me on the ship to start reviving people from stasis. A space-biologist, you say? Isn’t that a little strange for one of your kind? I have heard of geologists and chemists mostly, though I heard your kind are also experts on astrophysics.”

< _Yes, most of my kind finds my interest in matter-based life a bit odd, too_. >

“Oh no, I’m not judging. I’m kind of flattered that you would commit your life to studying matter-based life. Would have thought you would think us inferior or simple.”

< _Most of my kind would agree with you, but I’m not most of my kind, >_ Olioran said with a hint of amusement and rebellion in her words. Yewll had the sneaky suspicion she might have laughed if she had her voice.

“Well I know you were _so_ hoping to find a job in the mine, but would you settle for working as a lab assistant for me?” Yewll said facetiously.

< _I was offered a similar deal before. I’m trying not to be paranoid but this all seems too good to be true,_ > Olioran said, sounding wary.

“I’m not pressuring you to stay. I will fix the last of your damage tomorrow. See how you feel about it then,” Doc Yewll said, putting a reassuring hand on Olioran shoulder.

/ \    / \   / \

\ /    \ /   \ /

The next day was a busy one so Yewll wasn’t able to get to Olioran’s leg until the middle of the day. Several mineworkers had come in with injuries from a miner cave-in; one of them was one of the workers that had attack Olioran. Yewll gave her a sympathetic glance. Olioran did not seem too upset though. She sat to the side not averting her gaze but watched admiringly as Doc Yewll worked. Yewll noticed she could sense her feelings even when they were not communicating mind to mind.

After Yewll was finished fixing up Olioran’s leg she started to run tests on forensic evidence that had been gathered from Ben’s house. Yewll had been furious at him until she discovered his family was missing; now she was hoping to find clues as to where they might be. In the middle of an important test Quentin and Rafe McCawley came in under the pretense of being there to apologize to Olioran. Yewll thought it was much more likely they were hoping to avoid charges being filed against their workers.

"I am sorry for the misunderstanding" Rafe McCawely said "but our town was under attack a few weeks back. We will be pleased to provide any Gulanite you need for the duration of your stay.”

Yewll made a disgusted sound in the back of her throat.

 _< Something's wrong with this man, Doc Yewll_.> Olioran mentally indicated Rafe McCawley.

"Yes you can say that again what a **ganch** ,” Yewll said indignantly.

< _NO! That's not what I mean! Tell him to lie down; I think he is about to have a seizure. I saw it happen to Lian towards the end of his life. The way the energy is flowing through his brain is all wrong_. >

"What’s she saying?" Rafe asks.

"She says you are not well. Lay down Mr. McCawley," Doc Yewll said in her no nonsense voice.

"Are you kidding? I don’t have time for this bullshit! I’m fine. How would she know just by looking at me that there is something wrong with me? She don’t even have a body. She probably can’t tell my front side from my backside.”

Doc Yewll cursed under her breath in Castithan, " **Banggo**... Now look here Mr. McCawley, you don’t have to like Oiloran or me- I certainly don’t like you- but I’m a physician. If I say you should be lying down, you should trust my judgment. As to how Olioran is able to tell something is wrong: it is much the same way as she could tell there was Gulanite in your mine: she senses energy."

Quentin came up beside his father, "Hey, don’t be a fool dad. You get up on that bed now! I lost a mother and a brother, I’m not losing you because you are being a damn idiot.”

Rafe reluctantly got up on the one of the beds and no sooner did he do so then he started seizing.

"Quentin, Olioran, help me turn him on his side he's likely to vomit and aspirate,” Doc Yewll instructed.

As they turned him over the inevitable happen and he threw-up violently. The convulsions lasted a good two minutes, but there was little more they could do then to keep the man from drowning in a puddle of his own sick. When it was over Rafe woke up sat up and demanded to know why he was on the bed.

"You had a seizure Mr. McCawley. Now lie back I need to examine you to determine why," Doc Yewll said trying not to let her frustration show in her voice.

"That’s absurd I don’t remember having a seizure," Rafe argued, sitting up all the way.

“Of course you don’t you **banggo**! It was a seizure! No one remembers having a seizure!” Doc Yewll snapped irritably.

Rafe felt a wave of dizziness and nearly tipped himself out of bed, but Quentin and Olioran caught him and forced him to lie down.

“My god, father, will you just take it easy?” Quentin worried with frustration in his voice.

Quentin turned to Doc Yewll, “Is it possible for you to implant a nueropacemaker? He can’t continue mining with the possibility seizing.”

Doc Yewll looked at him with a speculative gaze "I’m very surprised you know about Nueropacemakers since they only came out about two years ago and are not in widely used. Only very wealthy people can afford them.”

"I read whatever I can get my hands on and ask interesting visitors as many questions as I can," Quentin shrugged his shoulders.

"Well while I commend you on being well informed of the medical contributions my kind have made, but it’s a bit premature to be considering brain surgery. Tests need to be ran to determine what caused this in the first place. Nueropacemakers are only a considered if the seizing persists; there are plenty of medications that are effective, so it’s generally a last resort. Which reminds me: Olioran will you get me a bottle from the top shelf behind you?"

Before she could even describe which one Olioran was already handing it to her. Yewll scratched her head but said nothing.

"Mr. McCawley, don’t make me force this down your throat,” Doc Yewll threatened, handing him pills and some water. Rafe looked at the puddle of vomit beside his head and made no argument.

The next hour was spent performing various tests on Rafe. Olioran got assorted things for Doc Yewll, seeming to know exactly what she needed and where to find it before she said anything. Quentin spent the time pacing restlessly. Olioran offered him a chair and he looked up at her, said thank you in very mangled Casti and sat down. Doc Yewll looked up.

"Can you thank her properly for me?” Quentin asked her.

"Thank her yourself. She’s mute not deaf," Yewll said in an offended tone.

“She understands English? I thought maybe she wasn't speaking because she only knew Votan languages," Quentin said.

"No, she knows more languages than I do," Yewll says.

"I’m sorry Olioran, I meant no insult. I want to thank you for helping my father. Especially considering how ungrateful he seems.”

 _Seems,_ Yewll thought to herself, repressing a snort.

< _You are quite welcome. I only hope your father is okay._ >

Doc Yewll repeated this and than asked, “Why would you think she doesn't know English when I have been speaking it to her this entire time?”

“I thought you were speaking to her in your head while talking out loud and translating what we were saying to her,” Quentin replied contemplatively, “Some workers from the mine said something about you communicating with her using telepathy. Of course that wasn't the word they used, but that was what I think they meant and she seems to know what you want before you ask for it,”

 _< He is wasted as a miner's son,>_ Doc Yewll thought, not realizing how loud.

< _He does seem very intelligent >_ Olioran agreed in reply.

Yewll looked at Olioran with a slightly startled expression, wondering if she always knew what she was thinking.

< _You directed the thought at me so I answered you. I try not to pry unless the thoughts are directed at me_. >

 _< Well that makes me feel better that you don’t listen in on everything I think_,> Yewll responded back.

Doc Yewll continued examining Rafe’s head and shined a light in his eyes.

"Mr. McCawley why did you not tell me you had a head injury? When did this happen?”

"Yesterday. It was a minor accident, barely hurt, I didn’t think it was worth bothering you," Rafe said.

"Did you sleep last night?" Doc Yewll asked in a serious tone.

"Not much, but some," Rafe said, not meeting her gaze.

"You are lucky to be alive. You have a concussion. I have to run some scans to determine how badly you were concussed and if there is any underlying brain injury,” Doc Yewll said.

"How long will that take? I have paperwork to attend to.”

Doc Yewll said, “Only a couple hours, but no matter the results you should stay the night for observation," Dr, Yewll replied, hating that he would be staying more then Rafe.

"What that's not possible, we’re starting excavation in a new part of the mine. I need to be there to oversee it.”

"Are you thick? That’s out of the question. What part of concussion or possible brain injury do you not understand? Do you know how disastrous a repeat of today would be in a tunnel? You could injure your head further!”

Quentin came up beside Doc Yewll: "Listen to the doctor, do everything she says, or I will get Christie and tell her what happened and that you are being difficult.”

"You wouldn't dare. I don’t want her to worry," Rafe said sounding concerned for the first time since he had the seizure.

"Ya, well maybe she should since you won’t worry about your own health," Quentin said and slammed his fist on the bed frame in frustration.

"Easy Quentin, settle down, I don’t need to have to stitch your hand on top of having to treat your father,” Yewll said, feeling sympathetic for the young man for having to deal with Rafe on an everyday basis; that would make anyone want to hit something once in awhile.

"Ok, ok, then you have to go in my place tomorrow Quentin," Rafe says.

"I want to be here with you, dad. How can you think about work when you could have died today?”

"I can die almost everyday in those mines. I can’t shut down the mine because I’m scared," Rafe says stubbornly, “You have to do this for me, we have to make our quota. I will be fine; the doctor will take care of me, there's nothing much you can do for me here.”

"Fine,” Quentin said reluctantly, “but I’m staying till after the scans are complete.”

The tests took longer than expected. Rafe fidgeted, making it hard to take readings. Doc Yewll was so frustrated she swore in Indogene under her breath every 5 minutes. Olioran helped as much as possible, but had the good sense to stay out of Yewll’s way. When it was over she called Quentin back into the room with his father.

"You are lucky Mr. McCawley, it’s a pretty bad concussion, but no brain injury. I will start you on a regular regimen of anticonvulsants and wean you off in a year or so. It’s important you take them on time, especially considering the hazardous nature of your work and if you ever, _ever_ have another head injury- no matter how 'minor' you think it is- consult me immediately,” Doc Yewll said in a dead-serious tone.

Quentin made Rafe swear he would do as Doc Yewll said, hugged his father goodbye, thanked Doc Yewll and Olioran one more time, and was about to reluctantly leave when a thought occurred to him.

"My offer still stands to provide you with ore, Olioran,” Quentin said, looking directly at her glowing face, “I don’t know how to apologize to you for what our workers did to you. I’m sure whatever I say will seem hollow to you so I have a proposal for you: I understand that your voice box is damaged. I will pay for and trace down any parts you need to make repairs. I know this will not make up for what was done to you, but I want to help you in some way.”

< _Thank you, your offer is considerate. I will think about it_. >

Yewll looked at her with a reproachful gaze, < _are you going to take their guilt money? >_ she broadcast to her.

_< Don’t judge me. I don’t want you to have to pay for my repairs; it’s not fair to you and he seems legitimately sorry. It’s not as though he instructed the miners to attack me. Anyway I didn’t say yes.>_

"What’s she say?" Quentin asks.

"She says ‘not on your life’," Yewll lied scathingly.

Olioran grabbed a pen and piece of paper and wrote down what she wanted to say to Quentin on the piece of paper. She slammed the piece of paper down on a table and Quentin took it while looking distinctly uncomfortable.

< _Asshole >_ Olioran broadcasted and signed in unison as she stormed out of the exam room. Yewll followed leaving a bewildered Quentin alone in the room. Quentin made a hasty exit.

< _How dare you speak for me! I’m a person not a piece of machinery! You can't just choose what is best for me. Lian would never have spoken for me_! > Olioran mentally shouted.

"How come you will stand up to me but not any one else? Why did you not fight back when those miners were beating you? Were you going to let them kill you for some perverse belief that their life was worth more than yours?” Yewll shouted.

 _< What? That's absurd! That's what you think_ _my reason for not fighting back was? I was nearly out of enough energy to run the suit, there were thirty of them, and I was unarmed because I left my weapon at the entrance so I would not seem threatening! What could I have really done? Wounded a few of them, maybe even taken out one or two, but what good would that have done? There's an old Irathian saying: ‘wounded wolves strike the most viciously’. They would have gone completely berserk if I had injured any of their number. The most logical solution was to guard myself as much as possible and wait for help. Do you think me weak? Do you think just because I chose not to fight a battle that I could not have won, that I haven't fought for those I care for or myself? Even if no one came for me yesterday and I died, at least I would have died as a Votan and not the monster they saw me as! I will shed blood to defend others, and sometimes to defend myself, but one thing I won't do is shed it for sake of shedding it! There was no way for me to win; why should I take people out for no other reason than to prolonged my life for a few minutes? >_

Yewll was silent a good long while, thinking on what Olioran had said.

 _"_ I-I-I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. You’re right, they would have torn you to shreds and there would have been little I could have done for you.”

 _< You didn't apologize for trying to speak for me, Yewll,> _Olioran hissed in her head.

“I don't trust Rafe, what if has alternative motives and wants to use his gift to manipulate you?”

_< Don't you think I know that? I'm five hundred years old; I'm not a child. I have been in situations where people could manipulate me before. I know how to play the game.>_

“Obviously not very well if you became some scientist’s lab subject _._ ”

Olioran exuded utter furry, _ <YOU THINK WHAT HAPPENED TO ME WAS MY FAULT?!>_

“That's not what I said,” Yewll protested, “It's just that it's easy for anyone- no matter what their life experience- to get themselves into a situation they can't get out of.”

 _< We’re not just talking about me any more, are we Yewll?> _Olioran asked her, the voice turning from stern to compassionate.

“I don't know what you’re talking about,” Yewll protested in a defensive tone _._

_< Did something happen to you, Yewll?>_

“NO! KEEP OUT OF MY HEAD! I DON'T WANT YOU IN MY MEMORIES!”

_< Yewll, look at me. I would never, ever delve into your memories: that would be reprehensible! We all have the right to privacy. I can only see what you want me to, I was only reading your reactions. Something more is bothering you than me possibly considering Quentin's offer and what happened to me. We don't have to talk about it, but I'm here for you if you need me.>_

_“_ Even after everything I just said to you, you want to stay. Why?”

 _< Because I can tell everything you said to me was said out of genuine concern. You just are horrible at expressing it.>_ Olioran replied warmly, _ <And because you need me. You are the town doctor, Indogene tech engineer, and forensic scientist. **Shtako** , Yewll, this town is going to work you to death.>_

/ \    / \   / \

\ /    \ /   \ /

Irisa and Tom were on their way to the medical center to take Yewll and Olioran’s statements, Irisa fidgeting nervously. Irisa had continued to give Tom the cold shoulder ever since they slept together.

Suddenly Irisa blurted out: "Don't you find it a bit disturbing that this Olioran forced images into Yewll’s mind? I don't trust her."

"Doc. Yewll said nothing about being forced; she could have pulled away and asked us for help if Olioran was doing anything Yewll was uncomfortable with. I have known Doc Yewll for a long time, she wouldn’t stand for being taken advantage of," Tom replied.

"What it she's controlling Yewll?" Irisa asked.

"I don't think that's the case. Yewll seemed tired but definitely herself, and if Olioran could just control people why wouldn’t she have just got the miners to stop beating the **shtako** out her?" Tom asked sensibly, “Anyway you are the one who said you were angry that the miners attacked her when she was only hoping to work for ore.”

“Ya, well that was before I knew she could put images in people's _minds_ ,” Irisa persisted.

“But you smoke an Irathient hookah to help you see visions, how is that any different than what Olioran did to Yewll?” Tom shot back.

“That’s completely different! I was trying to see the visions, it wasn't force on me,” Irisa countered.

“You mean like it was forced on you with Daigo?” Tom asked in a compassionate tone.

“Why do you have to bring that up?” Irisa hissed.

"Because that's obviously what you’re really upset about. Why won't you talk to me? We don't have to be lovers, but for god’s sake I would hope we’re still friends. I care about you. Why won't you let me help you?” Tom urged.

"There is no help. There is no comfort that could ever make what happened go away. You are only driving the knife in my wound _deeper_. Now leave me alone; we are not lovers or friends. Don't mistake one night as anything more than me needing something else to focused on but that pain."

Tom tried hard not to let the hurt show on his face. He had kind of guessed that Irisa had only been using him and didn't feel the same as he did for her, but it still stung to hear it out loud. After everything she went through, he could hardly fault her for doing anything she could to make her pain go away. He was glad he at least was able to do that for her for one night; he didn't regret it.

When they got to the medical center Yewll was analyzing the last of forensic evidence on the case of Ben’s missing family. Olioran was trying to get her to eat something, but Yewll was steadfastly refused to eat until she was done.

 _< You can finish it later or I can finish it while you eat; you gave me_ _petrohol, you even fed Rafe who you utterly despise. Why will you not care for you own needs? Who's valuing others above themselves now? > _Olioran teased.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you ladies," Tom said, "but I have come here for the statements we talked about.”

They sat down and discussed the details of what happen at the mine in length.

"Pressing charges is a bad idea, but I can offer you the option of filing a restraining order against the offending miners," Tom suggested.

 _< That would be a bad idea as I have taken the position of Doc Yewll’s assistant. From what I can see the miner are frequently in need of medical attention,> _Olioran stated.

Yewll translated _._

Tom looked at her in surprised, "Why would accept a position were you have to see the people who attacked you every day? Won't that be hard on you?"

_< I refuse to have my life be dictated by the actions of a few hateful ignorant people. A dear friend of mine, Lian, once said to me: _ _“The people who were trying to make this world worse are not taking the day off. Why should I?”_ _I know he was quoting someone else, though I can't remember for the life of me who, but the point is I'm here to stay. I feel like I'm needed here. I haven't felt needed in a long time. >_

Yewll listened with interest then translated.

Tom again looked surprised, “That was Bob Marley, he was a very wise person; I imagine your friend was to. You are brave to stay here Olioran. I think you will find that most people here are more tolerant then Rafe and his workers. I hope you are happy here in Defiance.”

Irisa rolled her eyes. _Say some pretty words from some dead human singer and suddenly every one thinks she is some kind of philosopher,_ she thought cynically.

Tom, seeing Irisa’s distained look towards Olioran said, “I think.... that is if you aren't offended, Irisa and I would like to ask you questions about how your abilities work. Would that be ok?”

 _< Of course I'm not offended at all,> _Olioran states.

Yewll translates again.

 _“_ Can you control people?” Irisa blurts out, staring at Olioran with an intense glare almost as though she was eyeing up a predator.

Olioran did not avert her gaze from Irisa; she refused to be frazzled. She was used to this line of questioning, although it had been a will since she had dealt with Irathians, but one thing she knew was not to look away from an angry one _._

_< No, not without killing the person. The amount of energy exchange it would take to force my will on another person would be most likely be lethal.>_

Yewll sensed the disgusted feelings Olioran projected, leaving little doubt in Yewll’s mind of what she thought of robbing others of their will, but there was something else- buried but still present- was a twinge of guilt; as if she had perhaps done this before.

Yewll repeated Olioran’s words, without including her observations of Olioran’s emotions.

“You’re saying you could have killed them with your powers, but you let them beat you. I find that hard to believe,” Irisa challenged.

 _< You don't have to believe me, but I ask you if I could control even one of them for a prolonged period of time: why would I have waited for Yewll to come along? Why would I not have used my powers to control someone? Why would I not have taken control of the leader of the mob,  convinced them to stop, and had them stock me up with ore? I had no idea Yewll was coming; I can see energy but I don't see the future. I was about to be killed, I didn't have enough energy left to kill more than one of them; even if I use my abilities that way, which I don't, that's not an honorable way to fight. I don't know why you are so scared of me. I lived with you kind for ten years- they branded me as their own,>_ She stated, turning over her right palm to reveal the words ‘Northern Wolves’ gouged deeply into the crystalline surface.

It took Yewll a while to recover from the shock of everything Olioran had just said. All of them stared in disbelief at what was obviously the equivalent of a clan tattoo. Yewll finally repeated what Olioran said.

"That’s not possible! Our kind does not let outsides into a tribe. You must have done that to yourself!" Irisa accused.

She examined the markings closely without touching her hand for fear of her being able to invade her mind. The marks were obviously made from an Irathient blade but she could have picked one up anywhere.

"I can't hear any more of this **shtako**. Come on Tom, I'm out of here.”

Tom shrugged his shoulders as Irisa stormed out.

“Sorry, she's usually more..... Actually, no… well, have a nice day ladies,” and with that he followed in her wake.

When Yewll and Olioran were alone, Yewll asked: “Is that really true what you said? Can I see your hand?”

Olioran extends her right hand.

“Ten years?” Yewll exclaimed, “ **Shtako,** I can't hardly stand ten minutes with that Irathian. You know she almost gutted me with my own scalpel the first time we met?”

_< Yes, it was when Arkfall was just starting; we kind of needed each other.>_

“Whatever inspired you to tell her that anyway? You couldn't have thought she would believe you.”

 _< I know that. I wanted her gone. I knew that would shut her up. You need to eat and get off your feet.> _Olioran insisted.

Olioran made her dinner then attended to Rafe’s needs for her. Yewll was beyond grateful for the help; not that she wasn't use to emptying bedpans, but she didn't know if she had the energy to deal with that man right now. She hated to admit it, but Olioran had a point; it was ridiculous that she had to do everything herself. She did need help, and Olioran and she worked well with each other. There was more to it than that though, another reason she wanted her there was she liked a mystery to unravel. She had chalked this up to simple scientific curiosity at first, but there was more to it than that. The little bits and pieces that Olioran revealed about her past haunted Yewll; she wanted, no _needed_ , to know more. This was absurd; she had sworn she would never allow herself to get close to someone again. The closer she got to someone the more likely it was that the truth about her past would come out, and she couldn't allow that to happen. Olioran had been respectful of the fact that she had secrets: that she had things that she didn't want to reveal. Every one in this backward town had the intellect of a skunk-rat; it was good to have someone to talk to that didn't make her want to beat her head against a wall.

When Olioran was done she sat down beside Yewll: < _You should get some sleep. I will monitor Rafe and wake you if there are any problems. >_

“Do you ever rest Olioran? Does your kind need it? If you are going to stay here I need to understand your needs; it won't do for you to pass out on me one day.”

_< We only rest to conserver power. Both the suit and I operate on gulanite energy. If I run out of power the suit starts to feed off of my own energy: this is very dangerous as it can deplete a Gulanee entirely. In order to prevent this, most suits have failsafe that shut the suit off if we run too low on gulanite energy, however my failsafe was shut off years ago. It was necessary. I couldn't risk shutting down suddenly in the middle of a war zone or an arkfall. Don't worry too much, though; if I'm in need I will let you know.>_

“Will you let me know, now? I don't think you would. Let me see your arm,” Yewll took Olioran’s left arm, “your power cells aren’t even half full! You should have asked for more petrohol. If there’s an emergence and I might not get you what you need in time!”

_< It take a lot of scrip to fill my power cells, Yewll. The last time I was totally charged was two years ago, before Lian became to sick. To function I had to work part-time and I’m ashamed to say I did steal from mines back then, but there was no way I could have worked full time. I couldn’t have left him alone. Sheesh, Yewll, you saw what almost happened to Rafe!>_

Yewll leaned in to comfort her, intending only to put her hand on her shoulder, but then Olioran wrapped her arms around her and rested her head on her shoulder. The suit was as warm as any person she had ever touched; smooth, but not soft. Yewll felt very awkward. She wanted to comfort her, but she didn't want to give Olioran the wrong impression; after all, even if she felt anything for her how would it work? They weren’t the same species. The suit that was embracing her wasn’t even the real Olioran; that was the ball of energy locked inside. Apparently she had been projecting this thought because Olioran seemed to startle and pull away.

 _< That’s not true, the suit is as much me as your implants are a part of you_.> she turned her left side towards Yewll.Engraved into it were words in a human dialect Yewll knew to be Chinese. < _It is a Buddhist blessing. Lian engraved it so I have something to remember him by. See that mark on my left arm? I got it saving an Irathian child. The areas you repaired are part of me now, too. How can you think that this suit is not me? It is not the whole me, it was not always a part of me, but it is now very much a part of who I am. >_

“I'm sorry this is all new to me,” Yewll said, “I have never interacted with another member of you species on this level. How do you see organic beings? Are we appealing to look at?”

_< Of course. Why wouldn’t you be? You are fascinating. Always in flux! Would you like to see how you look to me, Yewll? I can show you the same way I showed you my memories when we first met.>_

“Will you have to do the same thing as last time?” Yewll asked.

_< No, the link is well established. We don't even have to touch, although it helps the process along.>_

This time Yewll took Olioran’s hand and placed it on the side of her face.

 _“_ No, it’s okay. I want you to show me how you see the world.”

_< We see the things four distinctive ways. We can see them all at once, but that would be overwhelming for you, so I will show you them one at a time.>_

The image Olioran projected was very much like humans and most Votans see the world- light bouncing off and being absorbed by objects- except that the colors were more vibrant; seeing the white of her own skin was almost blinding. The next type she imagined Olioran must have used to predict Rafe’s seizure; she could see the neural energy blowing through her own head and her central nervous system, and even through her implants from her head to her toes. The intricacy was astounding: electroreception was the term humans used. She believed that didn't come close to describing how beautiful it was.

_< The next will be easier to understand if you say something: sing, talk, hum, whatever you want.>_

Yewll thought for a moment, feeling a bit subconscious, and began to recite a Castithan poem she had heard once. Yewll was not a romantic, but it seemed appropriate somehow. She could see the elaborate patterns the sound waves made as they bounced off of the objects in the room.

“You see this all at once? How do you process it all?” Yewll asked in amazement.

 _< Might as well ask you how you process five senses.>_ Olioran mentally chuckled.

 _“_ So you don't have any other senses?”

_< Well, touch sort of, but it’s not the same. The energy we put out passes through objects and helps use analyze what they’re made of, but not texture like your sense of touch, and no smell or taste.>_

_“_ Obviously. In this line of work you’re not missing out on much,” Yewll states, thinking of cleaning Rafe’s sick of the floor.

 _“_ You see sound waves, but you can’t hear them? Yewll asks intrigued.

 _< Yes and no: remember I said I could see things four ways? The last is when others share their memories with memories, which for most people include sound… and smell,>_ Olioran said in amused tones, _ <Thank for the lovely one you shared with me a moment ago_,> she said facetiously.

Yewll was silent for a while then said: “I am honored that you shared that with me after being the subject of experimentation. I can’t imagine how hard it must have been to trust someone enough to share such an intimate part of yourself.”

Doc. Yewll  convinced Olioran to take more petrohol after some discussion they agreed they would accept the McCawley family's offer or free ore Yewll made Olioran promises that if Rafe should ever try to manipulate her in any way she would let her know. Yewll was about to turn in for the night but see though of something she had been meaning to ask

Would it be better it I turned your suit off manually to save your power at night.

She sensed at once that she had made a grave mistake She sense attar terror and the sensation of cold fire not cutting but penetrating into her core sapping away at she could only assume was Olioran’s life force. Olioran bolted into the next room and was about to leave the Medical center. Yewll ran after her trying to project soothing emotions. Easy I never said I would force you please I Understand if you want to go. But stay the night so I can make other arrangements for you.

Olioran turned towards her < _It’s okay. It’s just what she said to me before..... >_

"She did that to You" Yewll finished for her taking her to mean the Indogene scientist

Olioran put her face is her hands I _thought I was Finally starting to  get over this I like you Yewll I want to trust you._

"You don't have to trust me. I will set up a cot for you far away from wear I sleep and tomorrow I can help you find an apartment of your own. I'm shore it you don't want to take the job with me you can find you anther.

Yewll knew the answer to that one before Olioran answered.

_< I told you that I'm taking the job Yewll. You can't push me away because you feel bad for me and don't know how to react. But perhaps an apartment of my own would be a good idea you shouldn't have to always have to worry about me. I'm quite capable of finding a cot to rest on if I need rest. I will perform the necessary scans on Rafe in a few hours. So you don't need stay up so for pities sake sleep Yewll.>_


End file.
